The applicant, Joseph G. Montes, Ph.D., independently discovered the benefits of the aluminum-zirconium based compounds sixteen years ago. Dr. Montes, a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University in 1983, is a biophysicist (molecular biologist) with postdoctoral training in pharmacology (Medical College of Virginia and University of Maryland School of Medicine) and previous experience (including publications) researching Herpes simplex.
One possible mechanism of action for the compounds mentioned herein is dehydration, as the compounds are among the most successful of antiperspirants on the market and Herpes simplex seems to not thrive under dry conditions. However, given the observations made on preliminary trials, it is possible that the aluminum-zirconium compounds also inhibit or retard the recurrence of herpetic lesions, as the three subjects in the trials experienced reduction in the frequency of recurrence of herpetic lesions with each subsequent treatment. There is some support in the literature for the hypothesis that aluminum-zirconium compounds boost the immune response in some localized way (not tested previously by others on herpetic lesions, however), by working at the site of application, perhaps as immune adjuvants (see J Am Acad Dermatol, 37(3 Pt 1): 496–8, 1997).